President Obama traveled to East Lansing, Michigan to sign and speak about the importance of a new, nearly $1 trillion farm bill that was approved by the Senate. Following a speech, the president signed the Agriculture Act of 2014 into law. According...

President Obama highlighted the contents of the twofold bill, stating; "So that's the first thing this farm bill does -- it helps rural communities grow; it gives farmers some certainty; it puts in place important reforms." For farmers it includes things like "crop insurance"… "helps rural communities by investing"… "businesses working to develop cutting-edge biofuels"… "boosts conservation efforts"…. And the President pointed out; "It supports local food by investing in things like farmers markets and organic agriculture -- which is making my wife very happy. And when Michelle is happy, I don't know about everybody being happy, but I know I'm happy." Additionally the bill "reforms agricultural programs, and "helps to clamp down on loopholes."

The second part of the bill that Obama highlighted was SNAP, the food stamp program, describing; "The second thing this farm bill does -- that is huge -- is help make sure America's children don't go hungry." Continuing, Obama explained; "That's the idea behind what's known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP. A large majority of SNAP recipients are children, or the elderly, or Americans with disabilities. A lot of others are hardworking Americans who need just a little help feeding their families while they look for a job or they're trying to find a better one." Obama summed up the bill by stating; "So investing in the communities that grow our food, helping hardworking Americans put that food on the table -- that's what this farm bill does, all while reducing our deficits through smart reforms."

As part of the string of executive order created economic legislation, Obama also announced an initiative to help rural businesses; "I'm directing my administration to launch a new "Made in Rural America" initiative to help more rural businesses expand and hire and sell more products stamped "Made in the USA" to the rest of the world -- because we've got great products here that need to be sold and we can do even more to sell around the world."

Obama concluded by urging Congress to continue this bipartisanship, working together; "And that's the way you should expect Washington to work. That's the way Washington should continue to work. Because we've got more work to do. We've got more work to do to potentially make sure that unemployment insurance is put in place for a lot of folks out there who need it. We've got more work to do to pass a minimum wage. We've got more work to do to do immigration reform." Additionally, the President stated; "So let's keep the momentum going here. And in the weeks ahead, while Congress is deciding what's next, I'm going to keep doing everything I can to strengthen the middle class, build ladders of opportunity in the middle class. And I sure hope Congress will join me because I know that's what you're looking for out of your elected officials at every level."

Secretary Vilsack spoke to reporters at the signing about the new bill and the agricultural boom; "The last five years have been the best five years in agriculture in the history of the country. Obviously we want to continue that momentum, and that required the passage of a farm bill."

Considering the intense partisanship in Congress, especially during an election, the farm bill received solid bipartisan support, which prompted the Chairman of the House Agriculture Committee Rep. Frank Lucas, R-OK to state; "In the environment that we've worked together in, this farm bill might not be quite defined by most people as a miracle but it's amazingly close. It makes a commitment to our fellow citizens who are in tough times, but it will also assure that the food will be there." Sen. Roy Blunt, R.-Mo. also agreed it was the best possible bill; "For two long years, our nation's farm families and rural communities have waited for a Farm Bill. While this may not be the best possible bill - it's the best bill possible right now. Programs in this bill touch the lives of every American, in every community, in every state."

Senate Agriculture Committee Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow praised the new legislation, saying; "This is not your father's Farm Bill. It's a new direction for American agriculture policy." Sen. Stabenow also explained the bill's improvements; "This bill eliminates unnecessary subsidies, creates a more effective farm safety-net and strengthens our commitment to conservation of land and water." Speaker of the House John Boehner, R-OH also praised the bill; "All Americans stand to benefit in some way from this farm bill. This is an improvement over current law, and there are no earmarks."

Bonnie K. Goodman is the Editor of the Academic Buzz Network, a series of political, academic & education blogs which includes History Musings: History, News & Politics. She has a BA in History & Art History & a Masters in Library and Information Studies, both from McGill University, and has done graduate work in Jewish history at Concordia University as part of the MA in Judaic Studies program. Her specializations are US, Canadian & Israeli politics.

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Bonnie K. Goodman, BA, MLIS is a journalist, librarian, editor & historian. She is the editor of the Academic Buzz Network http://academicbuzznetwork.wordpress.com/, a series of political, academic & education blogs. She has previously covered the 2004, 2008 & 2012 U.S. Presidential campaigns, and 2010 midterm elections. Ms. Goodman has a BA in History & Art History, and a Masters in Library and Information Studies both from McGill University, and has done graduate work at Concordia University as part of the MA in Judaic Studies degree program. Ms. Goodman has also contributed to a number of reference publications; including "The History of American Presidential Elections, 1789-2008," "The Encyclopedia of the Cold War" and "The Home Front Encyclopedia." Her specializations are American, Canadian & Israeli politics.